October 6, 2012 at 7:39 PM

Pete Massaro had a bag of ice taped to right shoulder after Penn State’s 39-28 win over Northwestern on Saturday.

But he played about 20 snaps and broke up a pass, and that’s a big step forward for the ailing defensive end. Massaro sustained a shoulder subluxation against Virginia, which caused some ligament damage and a bone bruise. The injury occurred while Massaro was already playing on a banged up knee.

“My shoulder has been the main issue,” Massaro said. “That’s what’s been keeping me out. The knee is more of a chronic issue. The shoulder is more of an acute injury. It’s something that was holding me off. That’s gotten a lot better.”

Massaro said he was definitely out against Navy and Temple, and after that he was day-to-day. He played limited action Saturday against Northwestern, but he said he felt great after the game. For him especially, the bye week comes at a great time to “get rid of all our bumps and bruises.”

Massaro said he visited the training room twice a day, almost every day, and guys like guard offensive tackle Mike Farrell, linebacker Michael Yancich, longsnapper Michael Furhrman and defensive linemen have kept him motivated.

Massaro hasn’t been fully healthy in over a year now, and he’s just trying to move forward until he is.

“If you’re going through hell, keep going,” Massaro said. “That’s what I keep telling myself.”